Semiconductor devices are used in a variety of electronic and other applications. Semiconductor devices comprise, among other things, integrated circuits or discrete devices that are formed on semiconductor wafers by depositing and patterning one or more types of thin films of material over the semiconductor wafers. Bulk semiconductor wafers are fabricated using floating zone (FZ) or magnetic Czochralski (MCz) techniques, or by other processes.
A particularly useful structure in semiconductor devices is a buried oxide region within the semiconductor substrate. Buried oxide regions are commonly formed in bulk semiconductor wafers using a separation by implantation of oxygen (SIMOX) process or by wafer bonding to create silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafers. Consequently, SOI wafers have higher manufacturing costs and limited supply compared to bulk semiconductor wafers.